CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TRAIN

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 499, 31 October 1928, Page 6

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TRAIN

TOWN AND COUNTRY MEET IN EARNEST (SUN’S Special Reporter.) Commerce Train, TAURANGA, Monday Night. Nothing is disturbing the progress of the Chamber of Commerce train. The organisation is perfect, even to the blast of a whistle which calls the party together when each function is over and a start is to be made for another. To-day we have seen three more butter factories, the glorious vista of the Rangitaiki Plain from the crest of a hill, a lemon farm, and travelled through hundreds of miles of some of the finest dairying country in New Zealand Enthusiastic welcomes and delicious meals have been the order of the day. The lunch provided by the Whakatane Borough Council, County Council and Chamber of Commerce drew fulsome praise from every speaker. BENEFIT OF RAILWAY To-day the commercial men of Auckland have seen what the East Coast railway means to the Bay of Plenty. The markets of the city have been brought nearer and the railway itself has given a fresh lease of life to the whole community. Appreciation of the Government’s action in extending the railway through fertile tract of country has been voiced by everyone with whom the party has come in contact. Taneatua was scarcely awake this morning when the tourists left the train for breakfast at the Taneatua Hotel. Before 9 o’clock a long row of motor-cars streamed out of Taneatua, carrying the party first to the Opouriao Dairy Company’s factory, where butter and cheese are manufactured, and then on through miles of verdant country to Ruatoki, a branch factory which is being rebuilt after a fire and which is to be opened in November by Sir Apirana Ngata. Leaving Ruatoki the cars circled through rich farm lands and then turned back again to go down the valley to Whakatane. Everywhere there were the same signs of prosperous farms, each studded with herds of sleek, fat cattle. A new adventure was introduced to the tourists on reaching Whakatane. We said good-bye to our Taneatua hosts and changed into another fleet of cars in readiness for a trip to the famous Ohope Beach before lunch. This is a seemingly endless stretch of flat sand and the drivers “stepped on the gas” in an exhilarating run of some miles. A hungry and healthy party returned to Whakatane for the official lunch, presided over by the Mayor, Mr. W. Sullivan. In thanking the Taneatua men earlier in the morning, Mr. H. T. Merritt had mentioned that some of the objects of the trip were being realised. It was a pleasure, he said, to meet the farmers personally and to rfee. what was being done in such magnificent dairying country.

Similar sentiments were expressed at j the luncheon. “JOLLY GOOD TIME” Cries of “Hear, hear,” greeted the Mayor's remark that he knew everyone was having a “jolly good time. Mr. Sullivan referred to the draining of the Rangitaiki Plain and said they were all indebted to the officials who had carried out the work and to the Government for its assistance. As Mr. Furkert, engineer-in-chief of Public Works, was present he expressed the hope that the stop-banking of the Rangitaiki and Tarawera Rivers could be accomplished, as it was of vital importance to the whole district. Mr. Merritt, in reply, said that, if nothing else resulted from the trip but the cementing of friendship a great work would have been done’. NO “POOR” FARMERS Mr. J. R. Rendall contributed one of the most delightful speeches of the day. It was both amusing and trenchant. lie spoke of the work of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, which was composed of men of all branches of thought in business, and said that he had never heard a suggestion at any meeting of the chamber of playing the town against the country. One thing he was sure of, and that was that the present trip would dispel the idea of the “poor” farmer. The tour was not a “joy ride,” but it certainly was a joyous ride. Whakatane is to have a permanent record of the visit of the Chamber of Commerce train. Before leaving for the Rangitaiki Plain a photograph of the whole party was taken beneath the famous Pohaturoa Rock, which stands at the entrance to the business part of the town and is the site of the landing of the first Maoris at Whakatane. Then on streamed the cars through miles of more verdant and rich dairying land to a hill from which a magnificent view of the fertile plain was obtained. On again through the country which had been viewed from the top of the hill. The roads, which only' a few years ago were practically impassable in winter, were perfect. A call was made at still another dairy factory and the train was rejoined at Matata. Tauranga was the next call. Before dinner cars were provided for a run to a lemon farm and packing-store where the fruit is seasoned before it is sold. This evening the principal function is a smoke concert, and late to-night the t\iin goes on to Waihi.